Traffic concerns delay clinic plan

Traffic concerns have prompted the Angels Camp City Council to put the brakes on a proposed medical clinic near the intersection of highways 4 and 49.

More than 200 people attended the council's Tuesday night meeting, held inside Bret Harte High School's theater to accommodate the large crowd.

Following hours of discussion, the council voted 4-1 to send the proposal back to the city's Planning Commission to further study traffic-related issues.

Mark Twain Medical Center proposes building a new, 15,416 square-foot clinic on Dogtown Road to replace its existing, much smaller family medical center on Main Street.

Daymon Doss, executive director of the Mark Twain Health Care District, said the property is in escrow until the end of the month and is contingent upon a rezoning vote that the council didn't pass Tuesday. He said the district's Board of Trustees will likely decide next week whether to continue pursuing the property or look elsewhere.

Doss said a strong case was presented in support of the clinic - including improved access to medical services and higher-paying jobs - but that residents of Dogtown Road and nearby Gardner Lane presented "very compelling" concerns to the council.

Among those concerns is that the proposal would restrict access to homes and businesses and divert large trucks through residential neighborhoods.

For the full story, see the June 18, 2014, edition of The Union Democrat.